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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wound · content · object · mug · court · deal · bound · staff

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. staff — employees
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. court — of a king
  5. wound — an injury
  6. deal — to handle
  7. bound — obliged
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bound — tied together
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — an aim
  12. staff — employees
  13. mug — a face
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. mug — to rob
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. court — of law
  18. mug — a cup
  19. content — the amount
  20. content — happy
  21. staff — a stick
  22. court — for sport
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bound — certain

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com